magrem wrote:We would love to do the Heritage Drive and Guided Walks, as well as the Morning, Sunset and Night Drives.Will these activities also be organized, if we two are the only guests taking part?

Yes, activities will be organized in Mapungubwe for a minimum of two paying guests.

magrem wrote:Which accommodation is the best for us?Can you recommend a private lodge in or nearby the Mapungubwe National Park which offers meals and tours to the park?

The main camp (Leokwe) and the tented camp (Limpopo Forest) are both a unique experience but don´t offer meals. Tshugulu Lodge however is also ran by SANParks and will offer meals and will do tour pick ups. As Bert said, contact Norman Mudau (tourism manager) for details: normanm@sanparks.org. I will pm you some private alternatives for when Thsugulu is fully booked...

magrem wrote:Is the area safe for tourists? We are really looking forward to visit the Mapungubwe National Park. We love to get this new experience.

Very safe, I would say! As long as you stay in the car while talking too elephants off course.

I see that www.weathersa.co.za. ( daily/weekly rainfall ) reported good rain at Pontdrift in the last few days

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.

Yes it is definitely worth staying 2 nights! We stayed there for 3 nights in August. Mazhou provides lovely shaded camp sites in an incredible setting. There are 10 sites and if you stay out of season you will probably have the camp almost to yourself. Each campsite has a tap, electricty and a light. The ablutions are a bit small but not terrible. See my camping trip report
here.

You do not need a 4x4 to go to Mapungubwe - we went in a normal sedan.

If you're camping there is only one choice - Mazhou Camp site in the western section. There is a waterhole nearby (I forget the name) that teems with game in August. The eastern section is about 20 km away from the camp site and is a must.

I was in Mapungubwe last week and it as green as it gets, really amazing! The park received over 100mm of rain, which is incredible for this time of the year.

Game viewing strategy in Maps needs to be a bit adjusted this time of year. Usually (when it's dry) the Maloutswa Pan game hide is very rewarding for game, but now there are temporary wetlands all over the show. Birders will still find it worthwhile to visit the hide, because the pan is very full and virtually any wader or waterbird can show up.

The riverine area in the western section is still good for general game and the very adventurous 4x4 ecotrail will give beautiful sightings of giraffe against a backdrop of sandstone. Also expect eland and wildebeest here.

In the dry season the western section almost guarantees great elephant sightings, but now a bit more searching has to be done - look in the higher area along the ecotrail if you can. The ellies in the Eastern section still seem to walk their regular paths and they are still using the waterhole at Poacher's Corner, even though there's lots of other water around.

Highlights during this time of the year are definitely the Kanniedoodloop (gemsbok, eland, wildebeest and white rhino or leopard for the lucky ones) and the Kongoni Loop. The last one meanders to a plain that looks like a green mini-Ngorongoro crater at the moment. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, impala and especially eland (we saw 40 in one group now, last year it was a herd of over 100 at some stage) can be expected. Look also for black-backed jackal and kori bustard here. This is the area with the most regular recordings of lions and hyenas in the park. I don't have a good pic of the area, but a bad one will do to give an idea of the greeeeeeness.

john n poppy wrote:where can we get a simple road map of the Mapungubwe area ( on interent if possible)

john

Hi John,

We also got maps from the internet and this website but in the end found the one you get at the gate the most efficient and accurate. One side has the whole eastern side on and the other side the western side of the park and it also shows extra roads / loops / 4x4 trails that is not on the other maps.
You however need to ask for it when you check in.
Will see if i can find mine and scan it for you.

Mapungubwe is an awesome park and i'm sure you will have a great trip!

I can help with Mapungubwe. Where will you be staying in the park?
Definitely do the heritage tour on the eastern section. Also not to be missed are the tree top walk, the confluence and picnic sites. If you own a 4x4 then try some of the trails -very little of the park is accessible by non-4x4. In the western section visit the waterhole (I forget the name. This section of the park is situated in the Limpopo riverine forest and birding is amazing if your'e so inclined. There are a couple of nice routes in this section but very short.

We camped at Mazhou campsite in August this year. Yes, the weather is similar to N. Kruger so March will be hot. Birding is awesome!!! The campsite is very nice and quite well equipped, the facilities are brand new, each site jas a bin, light and its own power supply so no long cords needed. Each site has ample shade. The camp attendant keeps things quite clean and tidy. The campsite is very small with only 10 sites.

There is a small communal kitchen with 2 plate stove and basin. The ablutions are a bit small, there being only 2 showers and 2 loos and 2 basins on the outside right next to each other. There are no seperate ablutions/toilets for ladies and gents. Some are not very happy with these ablutions but they did not bug me much but it could bug the angels as they might have to brush teeth and do the hair next to a strange musketeer. There is also a bathroom for the disabled which can be used if there are no disabled persons in camp. The forest camp is also lovey but of course is a lot more expensive but the units are fully equipped. So if you enjoy your luxuries and don't mind the much higher tariff then the forest camp is the one. However, if you enjoy being closer to nature then the campsite is the one to go for. You'll also have a lot more left in your pocket at the end of the day!

hi PieterL. Go Camping! For any person who doesn't need to many facilities camping in Mapungubwe is the real bush experience, I think. Animals are moving freely through the camp and there is just nothing better than waking up to the morning sounds in the riverine forest. Since you're going for 4 nights, I would recommend a combination with one or two nights in Leokwe Camp in the Eastern Section of thye park. Totally different, equally stunning!

cookie wrote:Just wondering where the best spot could be to see Eland and rare buck, we are bird lovers and will be on the lookout for new ones. Basically we just want to walk in the wilderness; then sit and drink in the atmosphere.

Relatively high numbers of eland should be vitually guaranteed on the far side of the Kongoni Loop. There is a big plain that looks a bit like a crater, which usually contains many eland, blue wildebeest, impala and burchell's zebra. Also look out for kori bustard, black-backed jackal and verreaux's eagle (soaring over).

Eland and gemsbok are also seen often at the Kanniedoodloop. For this one high clearance is necessary. If you have a 4x4 you should definitely do the ecotrail from Tshugulu lodge! Tsessebe might be seen on the rehabilitated farmlands in the Western section.